201 / 652
DISC.
v.]
THE ATONEMENT
OF
CHRIST MANIFESTED.
191
inhabitants
of
this
world
in
that
time,
and
even some
of
the
transactions
of God
in his own
eternity,
before
the
foundation
of
the world,
are reasonably
supposed, to be
derived
from
this very idea, in the
mind
and
appointment
of
the
blessed
God
;
because
he
had
originally
appointed,
that Jesus Christ
should in due time
take
flesh
and
blood,.
and
be
offered as
a,
sacrifice
for the
sins
of
men
Here
we
shall
first enquire, what are those
early
transactions
of
the blessed
God
in
eternity, or
in
time,
which
may
be.
supposed
to have
been
any
ways
influ-
enced
by this view
of our Lord
Jesus Christ;
and the
answers
are
these
1,
It
was
in
this
view
that God
at
first
decreed
and
designed, to save
and recover any
part
of
fallen
man
from their ruin,
sin,
and
misery;
and
chose
thousands
of
the
race
of
sinful mankind to
be
restored
to
his
favour
and
to
bis image
;
Eph.
i;
4;
5,
7.
Behold
my
servant,
whom
I
uphold
mine elect, in
whom my
soul
delighteth.;_
Is.,
xlü.
1.
That
so
God
might have
a proper atonement
made
for
all
their
sins, by
our Lord Jesus
Christ,
in
or-
der
to be
reconciled
to them,
and to reconcile them to
himself
that
they
might
be holy
and without blame.
It
would be too long
at
present to
enter
into this
en-
quiry,
why
God required
an-
atonement
for
sin,
or
wh
his
justice
and
his
grace
would
not unite
in
the
salvation
of
fallen
man
without it
:
The great God thought
it
un-
becoming
his
supreme
majesty,
and
his
character,
to
deal
thus
in
a
way
of
absolute mercy
with men
;
and
as he
has
determined
it
so
in his word,
this
is
enough
for
us
to
acquiesce therein
:
As
Heb.
ii.
10.
It
became
him
for
whom
are all
things, and
by whont
are
all
things, in
bringing
many
sons
unto
glory,
to make
the
Captain
of
their
salvation
perfect through
sufferings.
TsxE,wow,
i. e.
as
critics
in
the
Greek
language expound
it,
to
conse-
crate, sanctify, or finish
this
Captain
of
salvation
for
this
service,
by
-an
atoning
sacrifice.
God_
was
pleased
to
make: his
beloved
Son,
'Jesus
Christ,
his first
elect; Is.
xlü.
1.
and he chose
all
,the
rest
in
him;
.Bph. i.
4.
According
as
he
hath
chosen
us
in him before
the
foundation,
of
the world,
that
weshould
beholy and without
blame
before
him in
love.
He
was
resolved
to set
him
up
at
the
head
of
all
the
saved
num-
ber,, who
was,
his
own Son,
that
he
should
be
their
fore
-
5